The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-03-01
Capt. JOe's Vengeance.

houo "'Nh'NO 'u'iipiitii "S"h'Se eho
redskins" says Capt. Joe Smith OF
Kansas, 'Twas hunting and trapping
on the Cimmaron River on the line OF
the Indian Territory. There were
three OF us, my partners being named
Hank White and Lew Benson, respec-
lively, and brave, good men they
were. We were about ready to pack
up and get out OF the huntinggrounds
when White accidently fired a bullet
into his hip, and we found ourselves
forced to lie close until he could walk.
1t was a severe but not dangerous
wound, and it was likely that in
about q fortnight he would be able to
move. The Indians had not bothered
us any to speak of up to this time;
but now, as If to add to the perplexi-
ties OF our situation, the devils seem.
ed to be overrunning the neighbor-
hood. We had a camp which was well
nigh impregnable to attack, and the
towards contented themselves with
lurking about and seeking to cut one
or the other OF us off without expos
ing themselves. | was fired upon
twice in one day, and next day Ben.
son got bullet through his cap.
While we had ceased trapping one G
us must do more or less hunting to
supply the camp, and only one couldgo
out at a time. White was little bet
ter than helpless, and we dared not
leave him alone. His wound was
rapidly improving at the end OF ten
days, and we were feeling sanguine
that he could use his leg in another
after meat. Game had become shy
and scarce in our immediate vicinity;
and | made n jaunt OF about six miles
up the river to reach some wooded
bottom lands. 1t was mid after,
noon before | returned, having the
hind quarters OF q doe and fine
turkey. ] took the usual precautions
when approaching camp, but met with
no alarm until | entered it. Then |
found White dead and scalped, and
brutally disigured Benson missing,
and all our traps and peltries and
other property gone. The Indians
had been there. was so taken abacS
that it was some minutes before I
could act. Then went out to scoup
for their trail and seek evidence as
to whether Benson had been carried
of or murdered was circ,ing
about the place when | heard o
voice family calling, and entered
thicket about eighty rods from camp,
to find Benson lying on the ground
in his blood; He had been wounded in
three places; He was hardly better
than a dead man, and it way in whis-
pers that he told me the story. had
been gone about two hours, and he
had started for the river to get some
water, when he was fired upon and
six Indians dashed at him. Benson
had II Henry rifle in his hand, and he
freed and returned the fire, killing one
OF the indians. They were between
him and the camp, and while two OF
them held him at bay, the other three
went in and killed White and packed
up the property. Benson could not
expose himself nor could he pursue
when they drew of, Had they hun.
gered for his life they could easily
have taken it, but they seemed satis-
fled with what they had Accomplished
The man didn't live an hour after re-
lating the particulars, and went down
on my knees by his dead body and
swore to revenge my comrades.
y month later twenty men of us
pioneers, hunters, Indian fighters, and
scouts, banded together to hustle
band of five or six redskins who had
captured and run offsome horses from
a couple of ranches lying between the
south fork of the Platte and the north
fork OF the Niobrara rivers. They had
n full days start, but their Captured
animals were obstinate and unruly,
and they made but slow progress.
had been elected Captain of the band,
and about shutdown OF the first day,
knowing pretty well the route the In
dians must take for the next two, /
called in some OF the Oldest scouts for
a consultation. The result was that
We planned short cut, and rode all
night and until noon next day TO
make sure work OF it. Then one took
a position in dry run bordering the
edge OF n narrow valley through which
the Indians were expected, and every
man saw that his firearms we're in or
der. We had over two hours to ar
range the details, and when the savages
finally appeared in sight we were graf
flied to discover that the band we had
frs. pursued had been strengthened
along the route by others. There were
now thirteen redskins We were sta,
toned along the run about four feet
apart, and it was understood that
not a shot was to be fired until the
head of the band was fairly abreast
OF the head OF our line. IL seemed too